Argentinean Air Show Pilot Saved by BRS Parachute

A 22-year-old airshow performer survived essentially unscathed after his RANS S-9 lost a wing, and he deployed his Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) whole airplane parachute. Click here for dramatic video of the incident on YouTube. At an airshow in at El Trebol, Argentina, performer Dino Moline was making an inverted pass, pushed up, and the negative g-load caused the left wing to fail. He activated the BRS system and the rocket-powered chute deployed, lowering the aircraft to the ground. After hitting the ground, the airplane was dragged by the parachute and a fire broke out, But Moline can be seen in the video walking around next to the wreckage, having escaped before the fire started. BRS reports this is the 353rd save for its ballistic recovery parachutes.

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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